Apollo And Dionysus In The Bacchae

Dionysian/Apollonian: The Greek characters, Apollo and Dionysus represent the dichotomy of human nature and the unending debate of societal repression versus individual liberation. In the Greek tragedy, The Bacchae, Dionysus is the archetypal personification of hedonism, licentiousness, and chaos. He is the god of the vine, the ultimate party deity whose main goal was drunken revelry and personal freedom. The complete opposite of Dionysus is Apollo, the sun-god, the bringer of light, order and self-discipline. The arguably higher god of illumination shined clarity and logic upon civilization, providing self-awareness and higher moral understanding. In the most elementary of analysis, Apollo and Dionysus and their respective character portrayals represent the eternal conflict within man and society. Apollo and Dionysus illustrate the …show more content…
Dionysus’ most benevolent purpose is that he is the god who introduced winemaking, allowing men to “drink up what streams off the vine,/ unhappy mortals are released from pain./It grants them sleep, allows them to forget” (353-354). He is the only god that releases men from their troubles, if only momentarily, and replaces anxiety with unfettered bliss. However, Dionysus is also a god of extreme, erratic emotions and behavior. When crossed, or even if the mood suits him, Dionysus can turn into god of animalistic savagery, exacting revenge or wrath through mind-controlling madness. This type of behavior is most evident in how Dionysus systematically destroys Cadmus’ (Pentheus’ grandfather) lineage in order to prove his divinity and get retribution for his mother, Semele, who was mocked, ostracized, and smote for her affair with Zeus. In closer analysis, though, the demise of Pentheus and his relatives at the hands of Dionysus is a warning of the immense power of nature and the consequences of man when he tries to repress and control